Passion simple cover

Passion simple

by Annie Ernaux

Without compromises or concessions, Annie Ernaux plots the course of the human heart through her "simple passion" for a young married man from another country living in France for a short time. This is the true story of a physical and emotional journey, not a sentimental one. The passion of this short-lived affair is joined by the courage and the exactitude of the narrator wanting to know the truth of her emotions. With extraordinary simplicity, Ernaux exposes her passion without explaining it, and in the end hers is the pleasure of having lived and loved with her eyes open.

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Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?